I went to have my echo stress test this past Monday. After the first set of u/s pictures were taken, my cardiologist noticed that I have a congenital heart defect. I have a bicuspid aorta valve instead of tricuspid. I have to go and have a CT Scan down next to get exact measurements so they can monitor and then decide when I would need heart surgery. Sigh. Needless to say, I'm terrified! So, so scared of having to face this in the future.

In the meantime, the rest of my stress test went fine and my recent blood work came back normal except my thyroid TSH was 8.6. My primary doctor just started me on Levothyroxine.

Here is another big fear right now. Now that I know about this heart defect, that's ALL I'm thinking about 24/7. Every pain or ache I have, I'm scared it's related to that.

I'm still having palpitations and feel short-winded whenever I walk around. My stomach feels really weird when I move around, too. It sort of burns and I really have no appetite to eat. I think I've dropped about 7 pounds in the past three weeks. I'm sure that is just due to worry over everything.

I'm also continuing to have pain in my upper left back and down my left arm. Again, I feel like the doctor missed something and this is a problem with my heart.

I, honestly, have no other idea why my left arm would ache every time I move around. I've had this pain off and on for years and it just so happens to be constant right now. It radiates down my left arm, up into my shoulder and neck and have to very tender spots in my upper back that really hurt to press on them.

I called my cardiologist yesterday and spoke with the nurse to find out if I am supposed to rest or if it's okay to do what I normally do. She said I'm fine. She said this is a defect that was just discovered and I've had it since birth. She said just to continue to do what I do each day and not worry about it until down the road.

I keep telling myself that I've had an echo stress test and a full heart u/s and if there was something found of concern, they would have told me. Right?

Easier said than done. I just can't shake the worry.

Any thoughts on what could be causing all of this arm and upper back pain? I want to believe it's anxiety but I think it's something more.

This pain in your back and arm is almost certainly caused by tension. I get it too! Especially in my left arm, shooting pains all the way down to my pinky. I was sure it was heart related until the doctor did an EKG and said all was good. I still didn't believe it wasn't my heart until I was getting a therapeutic massage done and the massage therapist told me it was due to tension in my chest and shoulder area (surprisingly, not my back)! I was still dubious until she started work on it and I could feel the same pain shooting down my arm as she worked on my chest. Once she finished the pain went away and stayed away for a month. I've been learning to do stretches and relax those muscles and it's almost completely gone, now, and has been that way for months. I also have back pains from tension, but those are caused by different muscles than the pain in your arm even though it feels like they are related. I'm sure I don't have to tell you that people with anxiety carry a lot of tension in their chest, shoulders, neck, and back muscles. Especially if you're worried about your heart, this is only going to make the tension worse!

I never realized that people with anxiety tend to carry the tension in the upper part of their bodies. I have a tender spot in my chest, too, that a doctor once said was costocondritis. It gets very tender and even aches. So between that, the aching down my arm, shoulder and the upper back sore spots, I'm a mess.

I know that the sore spots in my back will make my arm hurt sometimes to press on it. Maybe it all is just stress related. I know that I'm really stressing out right now.

I too have heart issues that I need not worry about now and trust me when i say that this is their profession. they can be held accountable if anything were to happen to you. so trust that they know what they are doing when they say to relax. anxiety will put more strain on your heart so just relax buddy :)

I went to many doctors about my health and finally a neuro told me that the reason I was having headaches and chest pains was because I had so much tension in my upper body and to learn to relax and stretch out the muscles he said they ball up or knot up and can make us believe we are having a heart attack and since then I can rub on spots and trigger that pain down my arm or clear up into my head.

Pain specialist told me to cut back or out the sugar it is the worse for fibro and chronic fatigue and chronic tension headaches .

I never realized that people with anxiety tend to carry the tension in the upper part of their bodies. I have a tender spot in my chest, too, that a doctor once said was costocondritis. It gets very tender and even aches. So between that, the aching down my arm, shoulder and the upper back sore spots, I'm a mess.

I, for one, can ABSOLUTELY confirm that upper back, neck, and the tender spot in the center of the chest are TOTALLY from anxiety. 100 percent. I get it all the time. I am sick and tired of my neck / back / shoulders/ etc. hurting so much when I am stressed. So much so that it stresses me out even more. HA